Understanding Our King James Bible: Personal Pronouns

Pastor Robert Hammond Long Hill Baptist Church Trumbull, CT

1 2. What We’ll Learn Today

• What exactly is a pronoun?

• Why pronouns are so important

• The precise meaning of each KJV pronoun

… And we’ll practice using what we’ll learn.

2 3. What’s a Pronoun, Anyway?

Personal pronouns (such as I, you, ye, thou, thee) refer to a person or a group of people.

Source: https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/personal%20pronoun 3 4. Why The KJV Pronouns Matter

Matthew 4:3 And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread. 4 But he answered and said, It is written (Deut. 8:3), Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.

4 5. Why The KJV Pronouns Matter

• The English of our King James Bible (New Testament) is translated from Greek – which uses a more precise system of personal pronouns than we use in today’s modern English;

• The King James translators used the so-called Elizabethan pronoun system to reflect the same pronoun distinctions that are used in the biblical Greek;

• Modern English Bibles that do not use the Elizabethan pronoun system fail to achieve the precision of our King James Bible.

5 6. How Important Is This Distinction?

(KJV) John 3:7 Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.

(NIV) John 3:7 You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You must be born again.’

6 7. All KJV Pronouns Are Either Singular or Plural

All the “T” pronouns All the “Y” pronouns are singular. are plural. thou, thee, thy, thine You, Ye, Your, Yours always refer to one always refer to more than one 7 person or thing. person or thing. 8. All Pronouns Reflect a Point of View

“Me” “You” “Them” First-person Second-person Third-person Thou, thee, thy, thine, ye and you are all second-person pronouns. 8 9. Pronouns Have Subject and Object Forms

He is teaching him. Subjects Objects perform receive action. action. 9 10. Pronouns have subject and object forms

She is feeding her.

Subject Object 10 11. Pronouns have subject and object forms

Ye & You

1 Peter 1:15 But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation;

Subject form. Object form. We are called We have received to act holy. the call of God.

11 12. An Exercise: John 14:15-16

John 14:15 If ye love me, keep my commandments. 16 And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever;

12 13. Pronouns have subject and object forms

Thou & thee

The Lord’s statement to the Serpent in the Garden Genesis 3:15 And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.

13 14. Pronouns May Also Show Ownership (Possession) – My & Mine

Point of View Subject Form Object Form Possessive Form 1st Person I Me My, Mine 2nd Person Thou Thee Thy, Thine 3rd Person He, she, it Him, her, it His, hers, its

“My” and “mine” are both used to show ownership (in the first person point of view). The difference between these words is similar to the difference between how we use “a” and “an.” We write “an” before a word that begins with vowel (a, e, i, o, u). Similarly, “mine” is generally used before a word that begins with a vowel. Otherwise, “my” is used. For example:

Psalm 32:5 I acknowledged my sin unto thee, and mine iniquity have I not hid. I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the LORD; and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin. Selah. 14 15. Pronouns May Also Show Ownership (Possession) – Thy & Thine

Point of View Subject Form Object Form Possessive Form 1st Person I Me My, Mine

2nd Person Thou Thee Thy, Thine 3rd Person He, she, it Him, her, it His, hers, its

“Thy” and “thine” are both used to show ownership (in the second person point of view). The difference between these words is similar to the difference between how we use “a” and “an.” We write “an” before a word that begins with vowel (a, e, i, o, u). Similarly, “thine” is used before a word that begins with a vowel. Otherwise, “thy” is used. For example: Psalm 21:13 Be thou exalted, LORD, in thine own strength: so will we sing and praise thy power.

15 16. Elizabethan Personal Pronoun Chart Singular Forms: Point of View Subject Form Object Form Possessive Form 1st Person I Me My, Mine

2nd Person Thou Thee Thy, Thine

3rd Person He, she, it Him, her, it His, hers, its

Plural Forms: Point of View Subject Form Object Form Possessive Form 1st Person We Us Our, ours

2nd Person Ye You Your, yours 3rd Person He, she, it Him, her, it Their, theirs

16 17. An Exercise: God’s instruction to Moses

Exodus 4:15 And thou shalt speak unto him, and put words in his mouth: and I will be with thy mouth, and with his mouth, and will teach you what ye shall do.

17 18. An Exercise: Nehemiah’s Prayer

Nehemiah 1:8-10 Remember, I beseech thee, the word that thou commandedst thy servant Moses (De 28:63-67; 30:1-5), saying, If ye transgress, I will scatter you abroad among the nations: 9 But if ye turn unto me, and keep my commandments, and do them; though there were of you cast out unto the uttermost part of the heaven, yet will I gather them from thence, and will bring them unto the place that I have chosen to set my name there. 10 Now these are thy servants and thy people, whom thou hast redeemed by thy great power, and by thy strong hand.

18 For more information:

• Mind Your T’s & Y’s: Understanding King James Pronouns Pastor Robert Hammond https://goo.gl/KCJiQk

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